Your Fat Because…You Don’t Do This!

“Three Components to Healthy Fit Body”

So you want to lose weight, look and feel great while putting off the aging process, well here’s the truth. You must burn off more calories than consume through aerobic exercise, weight training and eating healthy. That’s it!

If you have tried one of those quick fixes like the magic pill, diets or programs like “lose 10 lbs in 10 days” I am sorry but you wasted your time, money and energy. It is like my mom always said, “if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.” We have become a society that wants everything now with little effort but the road to long-term healthy living and weight loss is pursuing aerobic activity, resistance training and maintain the proper food in take.

“Healthy living and weight loss is a lifestyle but in the end you are worth it!”

Let’s get going.

1. Aerobic activity:

The truth with losing weight is burning more calories than you consume but how many calories do I need to burn off a day? A pound of fat is 3500 calories so if you want to lose a pound of fat every week you must burn off 3500 calories that comes out to 500 calories a day. This is where aerobic exercise comes in handy as eating 500 or a 1000 less calories a day is just painful.

Start out by exercising 20 - 40 minutes three times or more a week when beginning cardio for the first time. Keep your heart rate between 65% - 75% and work up to 85% as the higher intensity means more calories you are burning. It doesn’t really matter the time or order you do cardio during your workout but just do it and keep increasing time and intensity over a period of time.

2. Resistance training:

Using weights during your workout not only burn more calories it builds lean muscle that will continue to burn calories even when you are watching tv or sleeping. If you don’t want to bulk up don’t worry as you will have to use supplements and work your butt off to get those kind of results. Resistance training will increase bone density, lean muscle and develop a strong immune system while making you what I like to call a “fat burning machine.”

Start off by doing resistance training three times a week for about 30 – 40 minutes every session with free weights, machines and resistance bands to stimulate muscle growth and resting metabolism. Keep repetitions between 10 - 15 of four sets each exercise while keeping good form and posture. Remember, break a sweat as muscle stimulation was made to be challenging and not something you can just cruise through with ease. Always give your muscles about 48 hours to recover after your workout or over training could become happen leaving you with zero gains.

3. Eating right food & right portion sizes:

This is not a so called “conventional diet” but healthy eating with the three components of lean proteins, fibrous carbohydrates and healthy fats. Managing your food choices and portions is key towards decreasing calories in tale while satisfying your hunger cravings to avoid over eating. Think of your metabolism as a burning fire and to keep it burning you do not just throw tons of wood on it at once but continually when needed. It is the same with your metabolism as if you eat too much at once your body will spike and soon later you will be hungry again even though you ate more than your body needed. Eat something small every three to four hours to keep your energy levels stable and appetite controlled and functioning properly.

Eat a variety of foods every week filled with lean meats, fresh vegetables and fruits while mixing in small portions of healthy fats to satisfy your body. Mixing protein, carbohydrates and fats together is very vital as it will keep you satisfied longer while eating less. Remember, weight loss is all about burning off more calories than you consume so the more you exercise and the healthier you eat will only move you closer towards reaching the body you always wanted.

Losing weight and staying fit is not a secret but these three components: aerobic exercise, resistance training and healthy eat. Aim for losing 1 - 2 lbs per week and create a lifestyle that you will be able to follow in your day to day crazy life. Good luck and God bless!